Insole.



F. R. KEITH.

INSOLE.

APPLlCATlON FILED FEB..I4, I917- imam] Patented July 10, 1917.

invenTor. FredericK FE. Keith ATiys.

llllhllll Wildfid PAEENT FREDERICK R. KEITH. 01E RANDOLPH, MASSACHUSETTS.

INSOLE.

Application filed February 14, 1917.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK It. KEITH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Randolph, county of Norfolk, State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Insoles, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawing, is a specification, like characters on the drawing representing like parts.

This invention relates to an insole and has for its object to provide a novel insole which can be inexpensively manufactured and which will be equal if not superior to an insole made of leather.

My improved insole comprises a body portion of fabric which is saturated with a water-proofing and stifiening compound which fills the interstices of the fabric. The fabric is then channeled in a manner similar to that in which the ordinary leather insole is channeled, thus producing a lip which is formed by splitting the fabric. This lip is turned up and I will preferably then apply to the channeled face of the insole a layer of canvas which is secured to the insole and embraces the turned-up lip. An inseam-receiving rib is thus formed which is composed partly from the lip turned up from the com plete fabric and partly by the overlying layer of canvas or similar material.

An insole embodying this invention can In order to give an understanding of my invention, I have illustrated in the drawings a selected embodiment thereof which will 110w be described, after which the novel features will be pointed out in the appended claims.

Figure l is a perspective view of an insole embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a view of the body member with a portion broken out to better show the construction;

Fig. 3 is a View showing the body member channeled and the lip upturned;

Fig. 4 is a sectional perspective view through the completed insole.

The body 1 of the insole is made from some suitable fabric, and while any fabric which has sufficient thickness to be channeled may be used, I will preferably make the body from material which is known to the shoe trade as buckram. This so-called buckram material is formed from a plurality of layers secured together, it having Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 141,1913.

Serial No. 148,597.

the intermediate layer 2 of a coarse heavy material similar to burlap and having the two facing layers 3 of a finer woven fabric, such as thin canvas. These three layers are cemented or glued together so as to make the body portion 1 of desired thickness. If desired, the three layers may also be sewed together, although this is not essential, provided they are stuck together. The body material 1, whether formed from a single thickness of fabric or from a plurality of plies of fabric secured together, is then impregnated with a water-proofin and stiffening compound. I will preferably use for this purpose a compound formed from animal tallow and pitch which are mixed together. The proportions in which the tallow and pitch are mixed may be varied without departing from the invention, but I will preferably use about fifty per cent. of each. The body 1 is dipped into this compound when the latter is in a heated condition, and the compound will readily penetrate all the interstices in the fabric. The pitch in the fabric serves as a binding agent to cause the fibers of the fabric to be firmly bound together, and the tallow arsists in this action as well as providing a stiffening ingredient which adds stiffness to the body. Both the pitch and the tallow have water-proofing qualities, thus rendering the treated body water-proof. After the body has thus been treated, I channel it in a manner similar to that in which an ordinary leather insole is channeled thereby turning up a lip 4, as shown in Fig. 3. This channeling is accomplished from the edge of the insole, and it amounts to splitting the fabric constituting the body 1. By reason of the fact that the fabric is impregnated with this compound comprising a mixture of pitch and tallow, I find that it is possible to split the fabric and to turn up the lip a without fraying the fabric. The binding action of the tallow and pitch hold the fibers together so that when the lip is turned up, the fibers of the threads of the fabric are bound tightly together even though some of the threads are split or cut during the channeling operation. The fabric comprising the body 1 is preferably a woven fabric and the insole will be cut therefrom in such a way that either the warp or weft threads of the fabric will extend longitudinally of the insole and the other threads will extend transversely thereof. As a result when the lip 4: is thus formed it has threads or split threads extending transversely thereof as well as longitudinally thereof, the longitudinally-extending threads or parts of split threads being interwoven with the transverely-extending threads or parts of split threads. The threads or parts of split threads which extend transversely of the lip merge into and are an integral part of the transversely-extending threads in the portion of the body member 1 between the lips, and the lips are, therefore, extremely strong. After the lips are thus turned up a facing or covering 5 of canvas is applied to the channeled face of the insole and cemented or otherwise fastened thereto. This canvas layer is shaped so as to embrace the upturned lip 4, thus making an inseam-receiving rib 6 which is formed partly from the canvas covering 5 and partly from the upturned lip 4. This inseam-receiving rib 6 will thus have all the strength necessaryto firmly hold the inseam stitches of the shoe.

A11 insole embodying this invention can be manufactured inexpensively because the material is relatively inexpensive compared with leather at the present prices, and the operation of manufacturing involves merely cutting out the body member 1 and treating it with the water-proofing and stiffening compound, and then channeling said member and applying the canvas coating 5, and the operation of channeling and applying the canvas coating 5 can be performed on the machines already in use for this purpose. Further, the insole is light in weight but is extremely strong and will not crack or break when used.

I am aware that it has been heretofore proposed to provide an insole having a body of felt which is channeled, and the channeled face of which is covered with a layer of canvas, but my invention is to be distinguished from this in that the body portion is made from a woven fabric which is treated with a compound that not only stiffens and water-proofs the body, but also acts as a binding agent to cause the fibers of the fabric to firmly adhere together and in that when the lip a is formed, it has threads or parts of threads extending transversely thereof which are integral with the transversely-extending threads of the main portion of the body, thus making a superior lip or rib.

Instead of the animal tallow and pitch, I may use other suitable water-proofing compounds, such, for instance, asparaifin Wax.

I claim:

1. An insole having a body formed from fabric which is impregnated with a stifiening and water-proofing compound having a binding action and comprising animal tallow and pitch, said body being channeled to form an upturned lip, and a layer of canvas or similar material overlying the channeled face of the body and embracing the lip.

2. An insole having a body formed from V fabric which is impregnated with a stiffening and water-proofing compound having a binding action and comprising animal tallow and pitch, said'body being channeled to form an upturned lip presenting threads or parts of threads extending transversely of the lip and integrally connected with the transversely-extending threads of the main portion of the body, and a layer of canvas or similar material overlying the channeled face of the body and embracing the lip.

In testimony whereof, I have-signed my name to this specification.

FREDERICK R. KEITH.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

' Washington, D. G. 

